


In Your Name, I Find Meaning

by idrilhadhafang



Series: Rose Tico Appreciation Fics [1]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Compliant, F/F, Minor Finn/Rey, Minor Finn/Rose Tico, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Some Fluff, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, Tumblr Prompt, though it’s not really important
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-18 15:43:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14855573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: Kaydel Ko Connix comes to see Rose after the battle of Crait.





	In Your Name, I Find Meaning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Artemis1000](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis1000/gifts).



> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: Artemis1000/cynical-harlequin prompted this on Tumblr. Because she is the best. :3

Rose wakes up in that moment, and her head’s throbbing. Standing over her isn’t Finn, as she expected, but Kaydel Ko Connix. She’s seen Kaydel around on occasion, mostly in terms of Kaydel having her responsibilities on the Resistance Base. She grins weakly. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, Lieutenant.”

  
“Yeah.” Kaydel smiles, and in Rose’s opinion, she just looks even more beautiful. Kaydel is already a beautiful woman, a brave, vibrant woman, but with that smile, she only looks even more beautiful. Rose has always admired her, at least a little bit, if only because of her courage and her grace. She’s willing to do what she can for what’s right, and Rose has always admired that. “You gave me quite a scare there. For a moment…I thought you’d died on us.”

  
“I had to save Finn.” She still remembers that terror, seeing Finn heading right at that cannon, and the blinding light emanating from it. If she hadn’t stepped in in time…

  
What would have happened to Finn? Would it have made a difference? Rose honestly doesn’t know. She shudders to even think about it.

  
“I figured that,” Kaydel says. “You…you’re brave, Rose. You really are. But you didn’t have to do that. You scared the life out of me…I was just so worried about you…”

  
“I’m okay.” Rose smiles up at Kaydel. “My head hurts a bit.”

  
“Yeah, no surprise,” Kaydel says. “You were pretty badly injured. You’re lucky Finn pulled you out of there or you would have been…probably a little crispy.”

  
“I can see that.” Then, “Are you okay, Lieutenant?”

  
“Call me Kay. I mean, we’re friends here.”

  
“Right. Kay…” Rose takes a deep breath. “Are you doing all right?”

  
“I wish I was. We lost a lot of good people that day. And I admit…I don’t know how we’re going to start a Rebellion from what we’ve got. We’re…” Kaydel breaks off, looks away, and Rose, on instinct, takes her hand.

  
For a moment, Rose feels her heart flutter. She cares about Finn, idolizes him, really, but she wonders if her feelings for Kaydel might have something there too. Just a touch there. It’s still there nonetheless.

  
Kaydel smiles at her through the tears that are starting to fall. “Thank you, Rose.” She sighs. “You better get some rest. You look like hell.”  
“Yeah,” Rose says. “But I survived.”

  
Kaydel doesn’t laugh, but she smiles again. Rose knows that she would do anything to get that smile out of Kaydel again. Anything at all.

  
***  
Kaydel visits her in medbay again. She makes a habit of it, again and again, along with Finn — though he seems to get on more with Rey (and Rose supposes she doesn’t really blame him. Rey at least seems like a nice girl, and she clearly makes him happy. A part of her wishes she could do the same for Finn) and Poe Dameron. Poe, who seems to still be shaken from seeing Kylo Ren unmasked, like he knew him from somewhere. Kaydel still seems pretty rattled, so she and Rose talk. They talk about anything that comes to mind, up to and including the war going on.

  
Rose tells her about Finn at one point, and Kaydel says, “You really care about him, don’t you?”

  
Rose takes a deep breath. “He’s a brave person. I admire him. But truth be told…I think there’s something about you that…”   
She pauses. How does she phrase this without sounding awkward?

  
“You know, Rose? I admire you too.”

  
Rose beams. All of it was what she longed to hear.

  
***  
It’s when Rose is ready to exit medbay — Thank the stars, she thinks. She was getting a little stir-crazy — that she goes to visit Kaydel. She doesn’t need an excuse. She and Kaydel are friends, after all. If not…something more? Finn she wants to be like, but Kaydel makes her feel strangely peaceful and grounded, something that she can’t say she’s felt often.   
Kaydel’s staring out the window of the new base they’re on. She looks stiff, but smiles when she sees Rose. “You okay?”

  
“Thought I’d join you.” Rose looks out the window with Kaydel. “It’s beautiful. It’s what we should be fighting for, not just fighting what we hate…” Stars willing it’s easier said than done, but…

  
“Yeah. Exactly.”

  
“Kay…there’s something I want to tell you. I’ve…always admired you. I still do. And not just as a friend.”

  
“What about Finn?”

  
“He’s with Rey.”

  
“Well, I don’t just want to be — ’’

  
“You’re not. Honest.”

  
Rose looks up at her, and after a while, Kaydel smiles the sort of smile that seems as bright as any sun. “I admire you too. More than that. I love you, Rose.”

  
Their hands lace fingers. And Rose, for the moment, doesn’t care that she’s changing everything.


End file.
